


EAD offerings

by Dazeventura6



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Angst, EAD snippets, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-15
Updated: 2017-02-15
Packaged: 2018-09-24 15:15:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,622
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9767702
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dazeventura6/pseuds/Dazeventura6
Summary: I only found two fics that I can tease for EAD so here goes nothing....lol





	1. Runaway

Pairings: Aaron Hotchner/Spencer Reid

Rating: R for now.

Timeline: Season 10 and goes AU after Reid goes to Vegas. 

 

Spencer Reid was running late and he looked like he had dressed in a hurry in the dark since he had missed a couple of buttons on his green cardigan which seemed to clash with the swirling dots on his dark blue shirt and black pants. He had overslept that morning and as he rushed into the bullpen juggling his satchel, coffee and files his phone started ringing, startling him and causing him to drop a folder he was carrying, cursing and muttering to himself he bent to pick it up. He tried to gather the files with one hand as he fumbled for his phone with one hand and answered “Reid.” His face fell as he listened as Dr. Norman’s voice told him that his mother had taken a turn for the worse as the medication simply didn’t seem to be working anymore. His hands stilled on the files as he listened to the doctor as he told him how this was the second time they had changed the dosage and Diana just wasn’t responding the way she should and was getting more and more agitated.

Reid sighed rubbed his forehead tiredly and told Dr. Norman that he would call and talk to her as soon as he possible and see if he could help settle her. Ending the call he collected his files, took a sip of his coffee and made his way to his desk. He sank into his chair, running his hands through the caramel coloured locks of his hair he wondered if he should take a few days and go visit his mother. Every time he got calls like this from Dr. Norman he was eaten up with guilt that he had put her in Bennington in the first place. He couldn’t help but wonder if things would have been easier on her if he had been taking care of her himself. He felt like he had been selfish to want a life of his own enough to put her in the institution. Spencer knew that it did help when he spoke to his mother and he was often the only one who could get through to his mother when she was in the middle of an episode so he wondered for the millionth time if he was hurting her by being so far away.

The genius was so lost in his guilt and self-recriminations that he flinched when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He lifted his hazel eyes and shoved his hair out of his face to see Morgan looking at him with an expression of concern.

“Whoa there pretty boy, what’s up? You looked lost in thought and not pleasant ones at that...everything ok?” the dark-skinned agent queried looking at the younger man whose hair stuck up like he had been tugging at it.

“Yeah...yeah everything’s fine, just thinking…nothing to worry about,” he said, not wanting to worry Morgan with his problems. He smiled at his best friend and turned away missing the look of concern that passed over Morgan’s face.

He mentally shook himself and decided that he would wait and see if this latest change in her regimen would help. That decided he pushed aside his melancholy and started work going through the files and consults on his desk. Spencer lost himself in his work and only looked up around lunchtime when he sensed more than saw movement near Hotch’s office. He glanced up to see Hotch leaving his office with Rossi; Rossi was gesturing and saying something. Reid could see by the quirk of his boss’s lips that said he was amused by the man’s antics. He found himself smiling softly to himself at the sight. The sight of Hotch always made his heart give a little leap in his chest these days. It had started shortly after Maeve’s death. Hotch had helped him with his grief over her death. They had spent time together and gotten really close. Hotch got it…he really understood how much it hurt to watch helplessly as his love was murdered right in front of him. Spencer didn’t know how he would have coped in the aftermath without his BAU family, especially Hotch.

Hotch had started asking him over for dinner at his place with Jack every week they were home and Spencer had grown to depend on these dinners to keep him sane and help him relax. He had always found his boss quite attractive and those few moments alone after Jack had gone to bed when they would just sit and talk about anything and everything became precious to him. Slowly without even realising it he had fallen in love with is boss. For a genius he really was stupid, he mused, falling for his straight male boss whom he had no hope of ever reciprocating his feelings was really the dumbest thing he could have done, and he really wished the feelings would just go away and he could go back to treating Hotch as a friend. Every time he heard Rossi trying to set Hotch up with someone his heart just seized in his chest and the pain that he felt when he wondered if this time Hotch would fall in love was starting to wear on him. Spencer often wondered if he was just cursed to want what he couldn’t have. Coming out of his reverie he sighed and blushed slightly when he realized that he had been staring at Hotch’s office and Hotch and Rossi were nowhere in sight. He was grateful for the fact that since JJ was on maternity leave and Lewis was busy setting up for the review of serial criminals she was in charge of he was all alone in the bullpen; everyone else had their own offices.

As he was wondering if he should get some lunch or finish his latest consult Morgan came out of his office and ruffled his hair saying, “Come on, Pretty boy, let’s go grab Garcia and get some lunch.”

Spencer smiled at him, “Sure, let’s go to the diner down the street, I want one of those milkshakes.” Morgan laughed and agreed. Reid grabbed his bag and walked out with Morgan discussing the merits of the various flavours of milkshakes as they made their way to Garcia’s lair.

 

**A week later** ,

JJ was coming back from maternity leave today and the genius was excited to give her his present for the boys. He excitedly lugged all the books into the bullpen and set them down on his desk. As he sank into his seat his phone rang and busy with arranging the books just so he answered absently without checking the caller id. It was Bennington again calling to let him know that the medication wasn’t working. He spent a little while talking to his mother trying to get her to settle and let the staff help her. By the time he had done this the rest of the team had started trickling in and Garcia was bustling about getting things ready for JJ. Reid pushed his troubles aside and moved to help Garcia. He could see Morgan and Hotch in his office discussing the hitman and his potential targets.

Reid loved his godsons but he was pleased to have JJ back as he had missed her gentle presence while she was on maternity leave and welcoming her back was a good distraction from his problems. Things moved quickly when Rossi’s daughter showed up with a potential case. As he was investigating the alleyway with JJ he got another call from his mother’s doctor and JJ noticed his preoccupation. Confiding his problems to her helped settle his mind a bit more and was one of the reasons why he had missed the blonde agent so much while she was on leave.

After they had caught the unsub(s) and saved the girl he went up to Hotch’s office and put in his request for leave. The understanding and affection he saw in Hotch’s eyes as he told him about his mother’s recent problems almost broke his will and made him want to just grab and kiss the older man. The genius averted his hazel eyes from Hotch’s deep chocolate eyes and fidgeted as Hotch came forward and clasped his shoulder in support as he was leaving. He managed to mumble a goodbye and left hurriedly before he did something that would make it impossible for him to ever work with Hotch again.

*****

When Spencer reached Vegas the next morning he headed directly to Bennington to see Dr. Norman and was relieved to be told that Diana was having a better day than yesterday. He walked slowly to her room turning over in his mind the possible reasons for the problems with the medication. He saw her sitting by the window looking out at the gardens and as he entered the room she looked up and for a second there was no recognition in her eyes. His heart dropped to his shoes as in that second he realized the possible implications. Slowly her face lit with recognition and she smiled at him in welcome, suppressing his own fears he smiled back and walked forwards to hug her. He spent the day with Diana and talking to her doctors, arranging for the tests needed to confirm his worst fears. He left in the evening worried and heartsick to check into the hotel he had reserved and crashed on the bed. Spencer was too tired and worried to eat anything and just fell asleep fully dressed.

The next few days were a whirl of visits to his mother as he supported her through all the cognitive function tests, brain scans and other tests that were required for a diagnosis. By the end of two weeks he had an answer which broke his heart, Dementia, probably Alzheimer’s disease. He knew he was going to lose his mother slowly but steadily over the course of the next few years till she wouldn’t even know who he was. Even worse he might inherit the disease and forget everyone who ever mattered to him and he was too young to get himself tested. He spent a few more days with his mother and seeing her struggle with her memory made him realize he had to spend as much time with her as possible. He also decided that he would not give up on her or himself. Spencer decided that he would try to find a cure for the disease that was stealing Diana from him finishing the job that schizophrenia had started.

The next week he spent on the phone with the faculty of UCLA to arrange for him to start a bachelors program in biology and possibly test out of the basic modules. This would allow him to pursue a cure for his mother and stay close enough to spend weekends with her, so he could make memories for as long as she was able. The dean was thrilled that someone of the good doctor’s reputation wanted to join his university. So thrilled in fact that he agreed to keep his name off any digital student lists and make sure that there was no digital trail for anyone to follow to Dr. Reid.

Reid returned to DC and arranged to end the lease on his apartment and packed up all this things to put into storage or ship to LA. He had already arranged student housing for himself in LA so there would not be much space for all of his books and things. The team was out on a case and Reid was relieved that he wouldn’t have to face them yet. He quietly turned in his resignation to Cruz citing family issues and requested that the team not be told till he had already left. Cruz was reluctant to do so but respected his wishes.

The last day that Reid spent in DC the team returned and Spencer found that he couldn’t bring himself to leave without saying goodbye to Aaron. 


	2. It's Complicated

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pairings: Spencer Reid/Emily Prentiss, One-sided Aaron Hotchner/ Spencer Reid.  
> Aaron and Spencer have a very complicated relationship, can they ever work it out?

It was like a kick in the gut. The sight of them kissing. So happy to be alive and together. After the stress and heartache of the past few days, Hotch wasn't sure he could handle it. He turned on his heels and left to continue to clean up the mess left behind by Benjamin Cyrus. He wondered how a person could function with their heart in pieces.

The past few days had been a cocktail of adrenaline and sheer terror that he would lose members of his team, especially the one he loved more than anything. The thought of losing Emily and Spencer had churned in his gut for the past two days, ever since he had heard Morgan’s shout in in the bullpen. It had been relief, tinged with guilt, that he had received the news that it was the state social worker, who had died and not one of his team and hearing Emily get beat up had been practically impossible to listen to, without doing something to help.

He was so glad that Rossi had been able to keep a level head as he had long since lost his objectivity, but the team leader felt that as horrible and unsettling as the past few days had been it was nothing to what it felt like to see Emily and Spencer kissing after being rescued from the compound. He had always known that there was very little chance of his love reciprocating the feeling but to have his last hopes dashed so finally after days of terror was almost more than Aaron could take.

Luckily, no one seemed to notice him slip away quietly to gather himself. Rossi had already guessed that his fears went deeper than just losing a team member but luckily he had erroneously guessed that it was Emily he was worried about. For that Hotch was infinitely grateful as he didn’t think he could bear the incredulous expression he knew he would see on his friends face if he knew just how much the team's resident genius meant to him.

Dr. Spencer Reid was the most beautiful human being Hotch had ever had the honour of meeting. The man was gorgeous and being happily married at the time had not prevented Hotch from noticing it when they had first met. The younger man was also in possession of a sharp genius mind that was a constant source of wonder to the unit chief and a heart that was brave, loyal and too compassionate for his own good. Hotch often despaired that the genius’s compassion and empathy with everyone even the worst killers would one day get him seriously injured.

The love he felt for the young genius had blindsided him even though it felt like it had been creeping on him slowly over the years of working with the younger man. He remembered clearly the first time he had met Spencer, how painfully young and fragile he had seemed. The young doctor had since proven that he had a core of strength that belied his fragile appearance. Had in fact proven himself to be the strongest person Hotch had ever met and it was this strength that had made it impossible for Hotch to ignore his growing attraction to the young man and in part caused the breakup of his marriage. Hotch had a feeling that Hayley had some idea that he was in love with one of his team but she didn’t know who it might be.

Hotch had first noticed his preoccupation with the genius when the younger man had been forced to get on a train full of hostages with an armed schizophrenic. The younger man had managed to singlehandedly salvage the situation with minimal bloodshed and Hotch had been staggered by the level of relief he had felt to see Spencer walk off the train unharmed. After that incident he had been repeatedly surprised by the genius at every turn and never more than when the genius had saved his life and everyone else in the emergency room with the perfect kill shot just days after failing his gun qualification.

Learning about the hardship that the younger man’s childhood with a schizophrenic mother had been during what had been one of the worst cases of their lives had only strengthened Aaron’s respect for him.  He didn’t even realize that he had started referring to him as Spencer in his mind instead of Reid until he saw him lying on that dirty floor in Hankel’s cabin dying. The sight of their youngest agent being tortured and killed in front of them had hit everyone hard but Aaron found that he couldn’t breathe past the pain that seeing Spencer stop breathing on the screen and it was only when the CPR restarted Spencer’s breathing that Aaron found he could breathe as well. That was when he realised that he was falling in love with the younger man and he had tried to distance himself from him.

However he hadn’t been able to stay quiet in the face of the young genius’s struggles especially when he could see that Gideon was too lost in his own guilt and self-recrimination to help anyone else. The unit chief had told Hayley that he had to help a team member and despite her protests gone to Spencer’s apartment after they returned from New Orleans and helped Spencer through the worst of his withdrawals. The experience had only served to further solidify his feelings for the younger man and Aaron had admitted to himself that the battle was already lost and he was hopelessly in love.

Aaron had known that there was no chance of it being anything but unrequited and he didn’t want to lose Hayley and Jack so he made every effort to be the best husband and father he could but the strain of being in love with someone other than his wife eventually began to take its toll on the relationship. When the Frank Breitkopf came back and destroyed what was left of Gideon’s self-confidence causing Aaron’s suspension he had taken it as a sign that maybe not being able to see Spencer everyday would help him keep his marriage intact.

In the end he hadn’t been able to stay away and Hayley had finally had enough and left him. And Aaron couldn’t really blame her for cheating on him after all he may not have actually done anything but he had not been completely faithful to his wife. Then Gideon left and he was too tired and grief-stricken to do anything else but watch as Spencer turned to the others to help deal with his grief and abandonment issues.

The Chester Hardwick interview had been a disaster from start to finish. The idea that the man might hurt or even kill Spencer had prompted Aaron to antagonize him in an effort to paint himself as the bigger target in hopes that it might spare the younger man some pain. In the end Spencer had saved them both with his quick thinking and the older man had felt that he owed it to the genius to tell him why he had been so short-tempered. Spencer’s simple query into his needs and feelings when no one else not even Rossi who was his best friend had bothered to ask had floored the unit chief and made him love the other man even more and he had been completely honest in his answer that he would probably never get what he wanted.

Gideon leaving and Rossi joining the team had created a lot of extra work for Hotch and he hadn’t really minded since it had been better than going home to an empty apartment. However it had also created a space between Hotch and the rest of the team which he had never wanted and Hotch had not been able to help his genius with all his struggles in the face of the Lindsey Vaughn disaster and the subsequent return of Reid’s cravings.

The events of West Bune, Texas would forever be etched in Hotch’s memory for both the sheer terror of watching Spencer trying to talk down an armed teenager whilst simultaneously blocking their shot and for the torment he had seen in Spencer’s face before when they had been listening to the mewling ineffectual principal of Owen Savage’s school. The knowledge that his love had suffered similar or worse fates at the hands of his own classmates as a child made him want to gather Spencer into his arms and comfort him while simultaneously hunting down the people who had hurt this beautiful man so, however he had been forced to chastise the genius for his recklessness. The most he had been able to do was a squeeze on the shoulder and tell the genius to attend his meeting and he had never felt so helpless and ineffectual.

Hotch was brought out of his reverie by a hand on his shoulder. He looked up to see Rossi looking down at him with a look of sympathy and concern on his face. The unit chief offered his friend a small wry smile and they went back to work cleaning up the scene and finishing paperwork. He knew he wasn’t fooling his friend and would be subjected to a detailed inquisition. He sighed to himself and pushed his hurt and pain to the back of his mind so they could leave the scene as soon as possible and go home.


End file.
